Kaerizaku
by yomibitorazo
Summary: Revised "For every legend, myth, even fairy tale, there is a kernel of truth on which it was founded."
1. Kanshu

**.:o.o:.**It has been decided that this story, in its previous, though incomplete, version was disappointing. Coming to this conclusion, we, me, myself, and I, have been slowly combining short chapters to create not-as- short chapters and revising in general. This includes, though not limited to, changing the story title, chapter titles, obviously, less liberal Japanese in an attempt to show off my knowledge, childish, we know, and changing our pen name. We suppose, after a while, parings become self- evident, and find that summaries are not our forte in the least. And here we place the standard disclaimer, "If we owned _InuYasha: A Feudal Fairytale_ at all, would we feel compelled to write _fanfics_? We think not." _Moto yondekudasai_.

**.:o.o:.**

**Kaerizaku: Kanshu**

**.:o.o:.**

**Angels and Mistakes  
**  
I see them looking at me; I hear the whispers. They act as though one word will break me completely. Too late.  
  
I thought it would be easy, that if I did it there would be no one to answer to, but I underestimated my friend. That _baka_ is too stubborn to let me go. And in a way I'm glad. I need that shoulder to cry on, now more than ever.  
  
I had thought I was alone, that no one could understand me, but there stands my dear friend, my guardian angel; my own personal angel to lend me strength and guide me through the darkness. We stand together in the storm and when one strays, the other searches without rest. There is no way to describe what we mean to each other. In the years to come, there would be those who would see our invisible bond to each other, making us closer than blood relatives and would call us homosexuals for our lack of interest in the other sex. What could they possibly know?  
  
For now, the figure sits beside my bed, holding my hand, helping me through my grief, piecing my life back together yet again. It's all wrong. It shouldn't have happened this way; I should've died too, but instead I only killed my baby.

**.:o.o:.**

**Three Years Later, A Gentlemen's Wager**  
  
"There, those two," he says expectantly, pointing discreetly to the pair sitting under the tree.  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"Don't tell you don't think they aren't attractive," sarcasm now. "I've asked around, everyone who knows them, or at least of them, can't recall either of them _ever_ having a boyfriend. However, very few think that they're lesbians, as they've shown no interest in females either."  
  
"What is your point?"  
  
"If they've never had boyfriends, that would make them, theoretically, virgins."  
  
"What is your point?" Boredom began to seep into the monotonous tone.  
  
"My point is how would you like to make a bet?"  
  
"..."  
  
They stood in silence watching the two women talking.  
  
They were completely oblivious to the world around them, so involved in the discussion that both failed to notice the figures sneaking up behind them. The silver-hair boy and his comrade grabbed both girls, only to find themselves looking at the sky, reflecting on the pain in their heads from the contact with the ground. Over them stood the black-haired girls, lecturing them for their complete stupidity, soon joined by another woman.  
  
Through this all, the two men stood watching, observing the females, their remarkable likeness to each other, but in no means anywhere near that of the shorter of the two and the woman who joined in the fray.  
  
"...Continue."  
  
"First one to get one of them in bed, proving beyond all reasonable doubt that she is at least bisexual, at most heterosexual, wins."  
  
"Too easy."  
  
"Alright, you want a challenge, how about a month deadline."  
  
"A fortnight, loser pays winner _juugoman yen_-"  
  
"_Juugoman_... Are you joking?"  
  
"-minus _issen yen_ for every day it takes to get her in bed."  
  
"Oh, you are good. Deal." Hands shook, sealing the wager. Eyes returned to watching the marks now preparing to leave. They stood planning, unaware of the knot they were about to unravel.

**.:o.o:.**

**First Impressions  
**  
"What were you thinking?"  
  
"You know better than to sneak up on us!"  
  
The two young men sat on the grass being chided by their 'victims'. Kagome and Sango paused to breathe when they noticed Kikyou picked up where they left off, berating her boyfriend specifically. Exchanging a glance, they shrugged and began to gather their books.  
  
"You truly are weak, _otouto_, to let a female defeat yourself." The somber voice startled everyone.  
  
They turned to see two young men; one with a sedate expression, eyes sparkling with humor, the other, with no expression whatsoever, eyes equally blank.  
  
"Sesshoumaru," said _otouto_ growled. "To what do I owe the _dis_pleasure of your presence?"  
  
Silver eyebrows rose. "Why InuYasha, I'm hurt that my_ little_ brother- "  
  
"_Half_-brother."  
  
"- would be so rude to me." Golden eyes narrowed, "It makes me ashamed to call you family. Oh wait, I was already."  
  
"InuYasha, perhaps you should introduce us to your brother," Kagome intervened before her friend lost his temper.  
  
"_Hai_, InuYasha, introduce us to your lovely friends," the black- haired companion of Sesshoumaru spoke up.  
  
Disgruntled at being outnumbered he spoke, "_Minna_, this is my older, half-brother Nishikarakikoushi Sesshoumaru and his friend-"  
  
"Acquaintance."  
  
"Gee, Sesshoumaru, love you, too," came the mumbled retort.  
  
"- and mine, Kobayashi Miroku. This is Higurashi Kagome, Matsumoto Sango, Chimiookami Kouga, and my girlfriend, Nidozaki Kikyou."  
  
Miroku came forward, caught Sango's hands in his, and, gazing at her with the utmost sincerity, said, "My dear Sango,_ watashi no ko wo undekudasai_."  
  
Three things happened at once: Sango retracted her hands from Miroku's grip and slapped him, Kagome whacked him upside the head with a particularly heavy textbook, and InuYasha's fist made contact with Miroku's crown. The poor, abused male sank to the grass unconscious.  
  
"Where did you find this _hentai_?" Kikyou queried.  
  
"I've known him since grade school," came the younger brother's reply. "He asks every pretty girl he meets that question, though why he asked Sango, I'll never know. Just kidding!" This was said as a murderous looking pair advanced on him.  
  
"As I said before, you are weak and a coward to boot."  
  
"You'd be scared too if you knew how strong and violent those two are."  
  
"This Sesshoumaru is stronger than any female."  
  
"Oh really," Kagome said. "These females are not as helpless as they appear."  
  
"I meant no offense, I only spoke the truth. The truth also happens to be that I, Sesshoumaru, am stronger than any male."  
  
"Right," Sango drawled. "All hail the mighty and revered Sesshoumaru- _sama_!"  
  
"Oh _kami_! He's so wonderful," Kagome dreamily gushed. "Sango, catch me." She fell bonelessly into her friend's arm in a faint. InuYasha burst out laughing at the annoyed look that flashed across his _niisan_'s face.  
  
"How does it feel, Sesshoumaru, to find girls who don't fall all over themselves to please you?"

**.:o.o:.**

** Parts I & II completed: August 2, 2003  
  
Part III completed: August 8, 2003  
  
Revision for upload completed: Wednesday, May 12, 2003 **


	2. Ijiwaruna Shukumei

.:o.o:. Pleasing to note that this_ yomibitorazo_ does not own the music _Dust in the Wind_ by Kansasnor the _Moonlight Sonata_ by one Ludwig van Beethoven. _Arigato_.

.:o.o:.

Kaerizaku: Ijiwaruna Shukumei

.:o.o:.

A Reluctant Partner

Silence reigned. Golden eyes narrowed, the only sign InuYasha's question annoyed him.

Finally he spoke. "Tell me, InuYasha, how does it feel to be pussy whipped by not only your girlfriend, but two other females as well?"

"Tell me, _aniki_, how does it feel knowing _chichiue_ left you the _Tenseiga_ and me the _Tessaiga_?" The very air around them seemed to freeze at the taunting question as Sesshoumaru's anger seemed to pour in waves from his still body.

The silence went unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, and the only words there spoken were the whispered words, "Fuck you."

The shorter of the two smirked: victory.

In the distance, church bells tolled the hour. Kagome packed away her books and hoisted the yellow bag onto her shoulders. Without a word she gave Sango and Kikyou a quick hug each. A small wave was directed at Kouga and a dazzling smile was sent to InuYasha as she began to leave.

As she walked towards an old building, Sesshoumaru fell into step with her. She cast him a wary look.

He caught the look and without facing her commented, "Classes have been in session for a month and you haven't realized we share this class?"

"I am taking _Sengoku Jidai_ to learn, not to partake in social hour," saying thus, Kagome lengthened her stride and soon left him behind.

"Burned! Looks like she told you," Miroku commented to Sesshoumaru's back. "Since you two seem to get along so well, why don't you take her? Besides you like a challenge, _ne_? Sesshoumaru? Hey, wait for me!" He ran to catch up with his 'friend'.

.:o.o:.

She arrived to the classroom fourteen minutes early, which pretty much meant she could have her pick of seats. Kagome chose a seat in the front row closest to the door, but also where she could still easily read the chalkboard.

She dropped her bag next to the chair, sat, and commenced digging through the backpack. First emerged a thick notebook, to be placed on the desk without her looking up. Next came the heaviest textbook of the lot; the longhaired woman plucked a short, black hair from its cover, releasing it to the floor as two more students entered the room. Ignoring the males, Kagome placed her text on top of the notebook before once again plunging into the bottomless bag, rooting around for a stray pen.

Sesshoumaru and Miroku stood in the door, watching her momentarily before moving to the back of the room where desks were set higher the further back one went. They chose their seats and settled in. Miroku immediately began daydreaming of the woman he had most recently asked to bear his child. The silver hair man removed a fat paperback book from his backpack, opened it to the dog-eared page, and promptly found where he had left off.

More students drifted into the room as time passed. A giggling gaggle of girls entered the room; they went straight to the back of the room, filling the empty seats surrounding the two _bishounen_ trying to attract their attention, but failing miserably.

Two minutes past the half-hour a small, balding man bustled through the door. The buzzing tones of conversation died to nothing. Excess materials were put away, spirals opened to clean sheets, writing utensils were poised to take notes.

Myouga-_sensei_ launched into his lecture, emphasizing points by writing them on the board. Not the least obeisance made he; not for a minute stopped or stayed he; but moving back and forth across the floor, his arms flailing about as his voice rose and fell, he commandeered the attention of every person in that room. Pens moved unceasingly filling page upon page with copious notes and diagrams. The lecture was erratically interrupted by questions, which were graciously answered with no reprimand for breaking the flow of his speech.

Roughly eighty-five minutes after the class started, Myouga-_sensei_ finished answering the remaining questions.

"Now, if you recall, at the beginning of this term you were handed a syllabus and in this syllabus was a rough outline on how your grades would be derived. If any of you should remember this, then you should also remember thirty percent of your grade is based on a project; what the project is to be is to be determined by you, the students, and will be displayed at the _touji_ festival. The only requirements for this project are as follows: one, the project must somehow revolve around _Sengoku Jidai_; two, the project is to be done in groups no smaller than _futari_ and no larger than _rokunin_; three, you may enlist the aid of those outside the class; four, be creative; and finally, the fifth requirement, have fun. The more fun you all have while creating your projects, the more stupendous your projects will be. Now get out of here and remember to come back Thursday," saying thus the teacher went to his desk to prepare to leave.

The silence that had enveloped the class shattered as the females surrounding Miroku and Sesshoumaru erupted with requests to partner with them. Studiously ignoring the annoying voices, the two men put their notes away, exchanged a look, and forced their way through the feminine sea to the front of the room.

Kagome had simply closed her notebook and gathered her things in her arms before shouldering her bag and moving towards the door. She was startled when a pair of hands slipped her backpack from her shoulder and another pair took her supplies from her arms. Ready to scathingly putdown whomever was so bold, she turned mouth open only to be interrupted.

"Surely you are not so cruel, Kagome-san, as to leave your friend's brother and _his_ friend to the mercy of such ghastly people," Miroku spoke to soothe the waters, so to speak, her yellow bag hanging from his shoulder.

"Is that to say you two are afraid of those girls?" She started moving again, joined now by the two men.

"More like, afraid of their intentions."

"Don't men like to be ravished? I thought men like it when women get aggressive," she mused aloud. She walked from the building, leading them to another, statelier, building.

"Yes, well, aggression is nice but it can be such a major turn off when the woman in question is so easily had. Then again, if the ravisher were to be you, my dear lady-"

"I very much doubt she's interested, _houshi_," the suggestive comment was cut off by Sesshoumaru, who had been silent up to this point.

"_Houshi_? You're a monk?"

"I am studying to become one," pride evident in his voice.

"Aren't they supposed to be virtuous and celibate?" questioned Kagome.

A horrified expression crossed Miroku's face. "Of course not! Not all monasteries require their monks to abstain."

"What about the virtuous part?" Thus said, she opened the library door, leaving a sputtering monk-to-be on the steps.

"What exactly are you implying? That _I'm_ not virtuous? Please, I am the epitome of virtue!" he called out indignantly as he followed his partners in.

.:o.o:.

Understanding

She led them passed the circulation desk, passed the reference desk, passed many empty tables, and to the stairs. Miroku followed several steps behind her, eyes watching the hypnotic sway of her butt. Her sweetly rounded behind tempted him, called to him. As she reached the second floor his hand reached out. Just a little bit...farther...

He was unsure what exactly happened as he was now up close and personal with the carpeting on the stairs' landing; his offending limb was tightly grasped by a feminine hand, his arm twisted at an uncomfortable angle. Kagome placed more weight on the knee digging into his back as she leaned down.

Her lips came but a hairbreadth away from his ear. "If you ever, _ever_, try that on me again I will gleefully help you with the celibacy part of being a monk by making you a eunuch. Do you understand, _houshi_?"

He nodded frantically in agreement, looking to Sesshoumaru for help only to find golden eyes alight in silent laughter. Kagome stood still holding Miroku's right hand causing him to follow. Right before she would have released him, she noticed scarring on the back of his hand. She gentled her grip considerably and turned it over. His palm was also scarred, though faded from age.

"A freak stabbed a knife through my hand when I was little," he answered the unvoiced question.

"A freak?" They were walking again, weaving through the bookcases.

"He was about my age, give or take a year. It was the same day my father died; I was at the hospital and this boy came up to me, asked me if I wanted to see something 'cool'. I said sure, _kami_ knows I needed something to distract me from my grief. Anyway, he told me to hold out my hand. When I did, he pulled a switchblade from his pocket and stabbed me. He laughed as he twisted it, following me when I tried to pull away...It took two nurses to pull him away," Miroku spoke emotionlessly.

"_Kami_," she breathed. "What kind of monster did his parents raise?"

"The monster's name was Naraku," he failed to notice her grow pale. "He did on a dare from his cousin, Onigumo."

Kagome remained silent as they came to a table in the back of the floor. There were few tables here and fewer occupants. The second Miroku placed the yellow bag on the table Kagome was digging through it. Several minutes passed, during which Sesshoumaru and Miroku sat down, before her dark head lifted. With a murmured command to stay put, she was gone.

Fifteen minutes came and went, and still she did not come back.

"Do you think she ditched us?"

Without looking away from his book, Sesshoumaru answered. "Use your brain. If she was going to leave she would've taken her things." As he spoke, Kagome came up behind him. She dropped the large pile of books loudly onto the table next to him. "Have enough books considering we don't have a topic?"

"I don't know about _you_, but _I_ have a topic, the legend of the _Shikon no Tama_. By the way, what are the _Tenseiga _and _Tessaiga_?"

"None of your business."

"I can always ask InuYasha..." she trailed off, knowing that would get to him.

"...Land."

"_Nani_?"

He sighed, "_Tenseiga_ and _Tessaiga_ are the two halves of our late father's estate."

"Tell her about the names," the black-haired man suggested.

"There is a legend of two swords, sister blades, the _Tenseiga_ and the _Tessaiga_. One was said to kill _youkai_ _hyakunin_ in one swing, the other, to resurrectone hundred beings in one swing."

"Why would one kill only _youkai_ and the other could save anything?"

"The _Tessaiga_ was believed to have been forged to protect _ningen_. _Chichiue_ was big on myths and legends; in fact he named us after the recipients of the swords. Sesshoumaru was an _inu taiyoukai_, Lord of the Western Lands after his father died. InuYasha was a _inu_ _hanyou_, half-brother to Sesshoumaru; they shared blood through their _chichiue_, InuTaisho. The _Tenseiga_ went to the _youkai_ while the _Tessaiga_ went to the _hanyou_."

"Um, no offense or anything, but isn't that a bit obsessive. I mean, to not only to give your children those names, but to then will to them something named after those two _katana_?"

"As I said, _chichiue_ was big on myths and legends."

"Well, then this should be right up your alley," she tucked her hair behind her ear, while flipping through a book. Curious as to what she spoke of, the males leaned in to catch a glimpse of the turning pages. "Here," she pointed to a modern map. "Show me the boundaries of your lands."

The silver-hair man took the projection sheet and marker offered and pulled the book closer. After carefully studying the map, he began to tentatively sketch the outline of the land. When he finished, Kagome took the sheet and lay it over an older-looking map in a different book. Though the map in book showed a much larger area, the bold lines on the western edge of the book's map matched his lines nearly to perfection.

"And the point of this exercise was...?" Miroku asked.

"This map-" indicating the page, "-is what was believed to be the Western Lands of the _taiyoukai_ Sesshoumaru. Where is the division of the two estates?" He made a quick line that by no means divided the land equally. "Okay, this area here-" finger on the southern portion, "-I'm going to assume is _Tessaiga,_ _ne._"

"Why would you assume that?"

"That would be due to the fact that there had been a forest, in the portion to the southeast that is missing, known as _InuYasha no Mori_. Therefore, given your father's love of legends, he would have bequeathed to InuYasha the land once part of the other InuYasha's territory," she finished triumphantly. "Also, a legend says that there is a shrine in the northern area established by the last known guardian of the _Shikon no Tama_. This shrine is rumored to have been a safe haven for _ningen to youkai_, and is still believed, by some, to exist today. Given that the shrine was renowned for advanced healing practices, well, advanced for that time, and the sanctuary rumor, it is reasonable to conclude your _chichiue_ would have named this portion _Tenseiga_, after the healing sword."

"How do you know all this?" Sesshoumaru queried.

Her eyes shifted to look blindly at the books before her. "I have a...friend who is, for lack of a better word, obsessed with this legend."

"..."

There was an uncomfortable silence, broken only when Miroku nearly fell out of his chair following the progress of a very attractive co-ed who had passed their table. Recovering, he asked, "So what exactly do you suggest we do with this information?"

"I was planning on doing a recreation of the story. The main focus would be the latter part of the legend when the jewel had been shattered. My friends have agreed to help me in any way they can."

"A recreation? You actually think we can find enough information to piece it together?"

"..._Chichiue_ left his books to me. I still have all of them out," this was stated as fact, no actual offer in his tone.

"Does that mean we can look at them?"

He closed his golden eyes for a moment as though in contemplation, and opening them said, "At my apartment only."

Kagome looked as though she would argue when Miroku exclaimed, "Look at the time! I have class in ten minutes across campus," this was said on a groan. He quickly gathered his books, picking up a few of the ones Kagome had found. "I'll be back for these after my class. The librarians love me, so they'll hold them for me," he explained backing away. "_Ja._"

His departure had been so abrupt, it took the woman a minute before she realized that she was alone with her friend's half-brother...her friend's gorgeous half-brother. She was in a secluded section of the library...alone with _the bishounen_ of the entire university... She leapt up from her seat, swiftly shoving her notebook and text from class into the yellow bag.

"I have a prior engagement soon, so maybe we should get together with Miroku after class on Thursday?" She adjusted the straps on her shoulders and began stacking the remaining books. When she reached to lift the pile, she was beaten to it.

At her questioning look he casually said, "This Sesshoumaru has no desire to be lectured by _InuYasha_ for letting his best friend walk around campus after dark, alone," his brother's name was said in such a way that one would think 'InuYasha' was another word for filth.

"It's not dark yet."

He raised one silver eyebrow, "Irrelevant."

"...So why is it a bad thing that you have _Tenseiga_, considering it's the larger of the two and it has the legendary shrine?"

"The shrine is exactly what makes it a bad thing; some historical society throws a fit every time plans are made to develop the land, causing problems with obtaining permits. It has gotten to the point that the only profitable thing I could do with the land is sell it to the damned society, and even that would not bring in much."

She stayed quiet as they walked towards the fine arts building. At the door Kagome used a keycard to open the doors, considering that it was after-hours. They walked down a flight of stairs to another door labeled 'Locker Room', where she again used her keycard.

"Have you looked for it?"

Sesshoumaru didn't pretend to misunderstand her question, watching as she used her keycard and a combination to open one of the larger lockers. "When I was younger, but I never found so much as a crumbling statue. If the shrine ever existed, it didn't stand on that land."

"Maybe it doesn't want to be found, especially if it is still operating today," the minx suggested cryptically.

"_Mochiron_, and _youkai_ are the shrine keepers, _ne_? Healing _youkai _and _ningen_ alike who come in droves due to the war for supremacy, which is an ongoing battle unknown to us mere mortals." The sarcasm was oozing from his words.

Ignoring the comment, Kagome lifted a large case onto her back, the bulging backpack and excess books now secured in the locker. She walked out the door, up two floors, down a dimly lit hallway to a practice room at the far end. The reluctantly curious man trailed behind her into the room, which was occupied by her friends. As she set down the cello case with a small nod, a trio of guitarists sitting in a semicircle began to play.

Kouga played a steady pattern, setting the tempo. Sango and Kikyou played higher pitched rhythms, creating three distinct lines, intertwining beautifully. Kagome began singing while opening her case.

"_I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone._" Sesshoumaru leaned against the doorframe, entranced by her voice. "_All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity._" She brought her cello and bow to a seat across from Sango, never breaking from the lyrics. "_Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind._

"_Same old song._" A rich alto, Kikyou, entered, their voices blending effortlessly. "_Just a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see._" They smiled at each other as Sango harmonized with Kikyou, Kagome still singing words. "_Dust in the wind._" Kikyou joined the chorus as InuYasha, who had been sitting hunched over, violin held loosely between his legs, stood. "_All we are is dust in the wind._

Kagome lifted her bow to the strings and began to play. The cello sang through the guitars soon joined by a playful violin. Vivid tones wove through each other, all voices melding into a colorful tapestry, full of life.

By this time a small crowd had gathered just inside the room, drawn by the pull of Kagome's pure voice floating through the halls by way of the open door, staying for the song as a whole. The performers played on, oblivious to the audience, so lost were they in their music.

The cellist ceased playing, even as InuYasha continued, and picked up the lyrics alone. "Now_ don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky._" Her voice swelled with passion, her heart clear in the words. "_It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy._

"_Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind._" The female guitarists echoed the last phrase mellifluously. "_Dust in the wind._"

Again the other woman sang, this time leading, "_Everything is dust in the wind._"

"_Everything is dust in the wind._" Kagome's voice faded beneath the guitars, fingers of both hands drumming gently on the cello's face until the song ended.__

The abrupt applause startled the group from their euphoric daze. After graciously declining to play more, they finally got their impromptu audience out the door, which was closed by Sesshoumaru, who stayed.

"What are you doing here?" InuYasha spat.

"I merely escorted the girl from the library. It is no crime," the elder brother spoke calmly.

"Stay away from her," he growled.

"You have no claim on her. It is the other wench who is yours, is she not?"

InuYasha's knuckles bled white, wrapped as tight as they were around the violin's neck. "She is my friend and you are unworthy of her company. So stay the _fuck_ away!"

"Such language in front of ladies, _otouto_," Sesshoumaru tsked. "How exactly do you propose Kagome-san and I work on our project? You would that she works with the _houshi_ alone?"

He blanched. Turning to Kagome he asked, "You're partners with _him_? _And_ the pervert?" She nodded timidly, setting down her cello to rise and edge towards Sango.

"InuYasha," Kikyou's voice held a note of warning, which was ignored. Kouga, who had been enjoying the argument, found his amusement begin to fade as he recognized the look of InuYasha about to explode.

"If you think for one second that I will let you and your _hentai_ friend work with Kagome, you are wrong," his voice was eerily soft, the calm before the storm. Kouga stood, ready to restrain his friend if, when, need be.

"Again, _hanyou_, you have no claim on her," the name slipped out, noticed by none save Kagome. "Do not presume you have any say as to what she may and may not do."

"Bastard!" He had launched himself at his brother, disregarding the delicate instrument clenched in his left hand, when two simultaneous voices stopped him.

"_Osuwari_!" Kagome and Sango cried out, holding each other in fear.

Without thought InuYasha, mid-lunge, and Kouga, mid-grab, sat on the floor where they stood, much to Sesshoumaru's bemusement. Before he could make a snide comment, a pair of small hands pushed down on his shoulders as a firm push was delivered to the back of his right knee. Caught off-guard, the proud man found himself on his knees.

"Don't move!" Kikyou hissed in his ear, hands holding him still. It was fruitless, they both knew, he could easily disengage her grip, but he stayed, eyes suddenly caught on the frightened pair.

Slowly, Kouga moved his guitar into position and began to play a soft melody. The notes rang out, seeking to calm his friends. When the time came InuYasha entered, playing the top line of the piano sonata. The violin sang sweetly, careful to stay close to the guitar's pitch.

Gradually the women stopped trembling, their embrace loosening as the music soothed their frayed nerves.

Kikyou now sat beside Sesshoumaru. "Male aggression scares them," she quietly explained. "When Kouga and InuYasha fight, they can get very violent; when this happens around either of them-" indicating Sango and Kagome, "-they say '_osuwari'_ and the testosterone loaded fools sit to become as unthreatening as they can appear. The word was chosen for its rarity of use in our company."

"...Why does male aggression scare them?"

"That is not for me to tell."

.:o.o:.

The silence went unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, and the only words there spoken were the whispered words, "Lenore."

-Edgar Allan Poe, _The Raven_, lines 50-53

Not the least obeisance made he; not for a minute stopped or stayed he;

-Edgar Allan Poe, _The Raven_, lines 70-71

aniki...elder brother

chichiue...my father, formal

ne...right? (used at the end of a sentence as verification, mostly used by females)

bishounen...handsome youth

sensei...teacher

touji...winter solstice

houshi...type of Buddhist monk

Sengoku Jidai...commonly translated as the Warring States Era; literally _sengoku_ can mean a country in civil war, _Jidai_, in this case, can translate to period or era

.:o.o:.

Part IV completed: November 15, 2003

Part V completed: Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Revision completed: Friday, May 21, 2004


	3. Shinwa

Kaerizaku: Shinwa

.:o.o:.

Dreams of Past Forgotten

Wednesday found Kagome and Sango at the library bright and early. Neither had classes until the afternoon, so they chose to do more research for Kagome's project.

"Did you find it?" Sango asked, referring to a book that had been recommended by a friend of Kagome.

"No. Knowing this nut, it's probably a book published over fifty years ago and has been out of print for thirty," she complained. "I'll have to call my_ dear _friend, who lives in the middle of nowhere, and ask the recluse to send me a copy."

.:o.o:.

A blood red stain slowly spread across the sky as the sun sank behind the mountains.

A field...A trap...The once long, rich green grass was now trampled and turned crimson. So surreal...The sky and ground covered in blood...

Hands...hands covered in blood...

The stench of blood and death was thick in the air. Sounds of battle...Surround sound, heh; quieter now, most of the threat had been destroyed.

In the darkening sky a full moon rose in the east...Soft silver light cast the field in eerie shades. Silver light...A flash of silver across the grass.

Him_. They fought him fiercely, determined to make this the last stand. So proud they were, not fighting together but not fighting against each other either._

A familiar cry rose over the din. A woman stood back to back with a man in robes. She caught something only to fling it once more. The man fought with a staff that seemed to chime merrily, ironic given his circumstance...His hand...Wind.

Kaze_...The _kaze tsukai_ free from her 'father' and master, fighting against him now..._

Tai_...She was once against him, the one with silver hair, and now was with them...Twins..._Iie_, sisters, maybe. One of the silver men fall wounded, the other soon after, distracted protecting his kin._

My fault_. Guilt...Anguish...Despair...Desperation._

A pink glow...A dark comet coming towards her...

Kagome jerked up in her bed, gasping desperately for air, tears coursing unchecked down her flushed cheeks. As the dream faded, the woman wrapped her arms around her stomach and curled into a ball, crying still for a past she didn't know.

.:o.o:.

Myouga-_sensei_ dismissed the class with a reminder the propositions for the project were to be on his desk by Tuesday next.

Kagome walked out the door, soon flanked by Miroku and Sesshoumaru. Without looking at either, she held out two packets of paper.

"This is everything we've found at present. The last page is a rough outline of the legend but there are gaps. I'm waiting for a book to come from a friend and any additional details the psycho sees fit to tell me. In the meanwhile, I want to look at your father's books." She stopped to sit on a bench in the courtyard. "When can we see them?"

"I have no more classes until Monday. Anytime this weekend is fine."

"I have religious studies and philosophy tomorrow; the last class ends around two o'clock. Tonight I have a study group at seven," Miroku said. "But there's no reason for you two not to get started without me."

"Slacker, you're just hoping we'll find what we need so you don't have to do research."

"Kagome-_sama_, you wound me with your words. I was planning to compare your notes to mine between classes tomorrow."

She looked at him skeptically. "You read those books already?"

"Well, more like skimmed. However, I was online last night to find more accurate maps from _Sengoku Jidai_ for cross-references of locations mentioned in the legend and where they are today. For instance, the second to last _miko_ who protected the _Shikon no Tama_ lived in a village that stood where the heart of Tokyo is now. As you undoubtedly know, right before her death she sealed a _hanyou_ who had tried to steal the _tama_ to a tree. In one of the books this tree was called _Goshinboku_ and using that name I found one shrine in Tokyo that has such a tree on its grounds that would've been both near a village four, five hundred years ago and already old enough to have been named so honorificly. Interestingly enough that shrine seems to be kept by our lovely Kagome-_sama_'s family." He wore a smug expression in answer to Kagome's awe. Sesshoumaru, though, was not impressed.

"_Sama_?"

"If your masculinity had been threatened by a woman as she did you would call her -_sama_ as well."

"This Sesshoumaru would never be in such a position to be threatened in the first place," he drawled.

"_Yo_, Kagome!" Kouga called, running across the grass. Kagome seemed used to his unnatural speed when he abruptly came to a halt standing before her.

"Kouga-_kun_, what's up?" She didn't see Miroku mouthing '_kun_' smugly to Sesshoumaru.

"Sango-_san_ told me you were playing this morning; she doesn't think you got much sleep and frankly, after seeing you, I agree." He sat on the bench beside her, grasping her hands in his. "_Mou yume deshita ka_?"

Carefully extracting her hands she gave a small nod. She reached into her volumous yellow bag and immediately withdrew a small notebook. "Could you?" Though her partners didn't understand, he did; he accepted the offering with a grim smile. "It might jump around, I really don't know...Is this...Never mind."

"You know I'll help you any way I can," Kouga spoke with such fervor the woman averted her gaze to her lap. In doing this she missed the look in his eyes; it didn't go unnoticed by Sesshoumaru or Miroku. He looked at her with a powerful combination of worry and resigned love.

.:o.o:.

A Familiar Tail

When he had parted company with Kagome earlier they had agreed she would come to his apartment after her rehearsal, which she estimated would be over around eight. She had also insisted on bringing dinner, so it came as no surprise when she was at his door at seven past eight, backpack slung over one shoulder, takeout in her arms. What was a surprise was her little entourage consisting of her fellow 'band' members.

Seeing his dubious look she hastened to explain. "When I told them I was coming here to look at your father's books Sango and Kikyou wanted to come too. There's some belief in Sango's family that centuries ago they were elite _taijiya_ and our darling Kikyou has almost finished her training to become a _miko_ and, therefore, finds the prospect of these books fascinating. Kouga wanted free food and InuYasha says he doesn't trust you farther than he can throw you. So, here we are," she cheerfully finished.

Sesshoumaru, being the brilliant strategist that he is, realized it was all or nothing and stepped back allowing his sanctuary to be invaded. InuYasha led the way to the library, or study, whichever it could be called, and soon every surface was buried under books, notebooks, and Chinese takeout. It had been amusing to watch home owner fret over letting them eat while going through the books, some of which were hundreds of years old, not that there was much to allow as they kind of just ignored him.

InuYasha was on his half-brother's computer where the oldest texts had been transcribed to prevent further wear from handling, gobbling down his first of many containers of ramen; Kikyou took notes when she could understand her boyfriend's garbled dictation, but mostly scanned pages. Kouga skimmed through books, passing them on to some one else for more careful perusal when he found something of interest and the rest took notes from these texts. Sometime around nine a phone rang, not ten minutes later Miroku had joined the hunt, contentedly eating cold rice.

Another half-hour had passed before anything of real use was found. "Here's something," Kouga announced. When he was sure of the attention he continued, "The _miko_ who broke the jewel, was believed to be the reincarnation of the previous _miko_ who had protected the jewel-"

"We know that, _baka_," InuYasha called out from across the room.

Ignoring the interruption, he went on. "_However_, no one knew where she came from and nothing we've dug up has been able to tell us but there's a riddle in this one: _No matter the distance one Walks, Nor the oceans one Crosses, Nor the mountains one Climbs, Nor the places to where one may Fly, The only way to get there is to go Forward._ That sounds like something the brat would say," he mused. The longhaired man flipped the book to the front cover and started to choke.

"Kouga-_kun_! _Daijoubu desu ka?_" Kagome asked moving over to him. Still coughing, Kouga pointed to the author's name.

"Nekami Kitsu," she read.

"What kind of name is _Kitsu_?" Sango wondered aloud.

"Try reading it the Western way," Kouga suggested when he could finally speak.

"Kitsu Nekami..."

"Who names themselves _Fox God_?" InuYasha mumbled around a mouthful of noodles, his fourth container but he was slowing down now. Kikyou and Kagome exchanged a look. When he realized the unnatural silence in the room, the young amber-eyed man spun his swivel chair around to be confronted by three feline smiles.

"_Inu Kami-sama_!" Kagome cried out falling to her knees.

"_Inu Kami-sama_!" Sango immediately followed.

"_Inu Kami-sama_!" Kikyou finished.

"_Inu Kami-sama_!" they all cried out, bowing low to the ground, arms stretched towards him.

InuYasha watched slack-jawed at their antics. "Talk about déjà vu..."

"Who would ever worship you?" Sesshoumaru asked. But having heard him, the worshippers sat up, three of room's occupants sharing similar feelings. "If you three are done, may we get back to work?"

"I know someone who loves riddles, he should be able to figure this out," Kouga volunteered.

"_Ii desu nee,_" Kagome agreed. "It's getting late so I suggest we share what we've pieced together of the legend and try to do it chronologically."

"I'll start," Kikyou spoke softly. "InuYasha, take dictation, _onegai shimasu_," she added before he could protest, looking at him with large brown eyes. She smiled when he grumbled in agreement, putting aside his half-finished ramen. "Ok, roughly _nanahyaku _or_ happyaku_ years ago a _miko_ named Midoriko lived. She was the most powerful one up to that point and for centuries after, believed to have been able to purify the very soul of a _youkai_, as many as _yon_ at a time. It was this power that the _youkai_ feared and caused them to merge to become more powerful. At the time there was a man in love with Midoriko-_sama_ and it was this man's weak heart allowed the _youkai_ to attain their goal.

"The battle lasted seven days and seven nights, and towards the end the _youkai_ were winning. _Demo_, Midoriko_-sama_ drew forth the last of her power and captured the _youkai no tamashii_ and inadvertently trapped her soul as well into a jewel that came from her heart: the _Shikon no Tama_."

"From here the jewel bounced around amongst _youkai _and evil humans for several centuries until a _taijiya_ slew a demon in possession of it," Sango picked up the thread. "The exterminators then handed the _tama_ to a _miko_ in hopes that she could purify it; however, she died, betrayed by her lover, before she could complete her task. She had sealed the _hanyou_ to a tree called the _Goshinboku_ with the last of her strength and ordered the jewel be burned with her body.

"Roughly fifty years later a mysterious woman appeared, woman, that is, in perspective to the period, she was actually in her mid-teens. Suspicious of the _gaijin_, the villagers captured her and took her to their _miko_, sister of the late guardian, who determined the girl to be her sister's reincarnation. A demon attacked the village, demanding the girl, whom the _youkai_ knew to have the _Shikon no Tama_. The girl ran into the forest, back towards where she had been caught, at the _Goshinboku_. Somehow, the _hanyou_ had awoken and, in the confusion that followed, the jewel was torn from the girl's side, she broke the seal, freeing the _hanyou_ who then destroyed the demon," Sango recited the information dutifully. The _tajiya_'s descendant took a deep breath before continuing.

"The _hanyou_ then turned on the late _miko_'s reincarnation to get the jewel, but he was subdued by another spell. Soon after, another _youkai_ stole the _tama_ and, in an attempt to stop it, the girl shattered the jewel, which by that point was inside the demon, with an arrow. The _hanyou_ and the girl who turned out to be a _miko_ met a young _kitsune_-"

"He got a sword first," Miroku interrupted.

"What?"

"The _hanyou_ had a sword that only worked when he would protect the _miko_."

"InuYasha..." Kagome murmured.

"What? Kagome..._Oi_ Kagome!"

"Eh? Oh, sorry. The _hanyou_ was your namesake, InuYasha. The sword would have been the _Tessaiga_ and the half brother, Sesshoumaru, was the one who found it, but, being that he was a full _youkai_, he couldn't touch it. Given, then, that the _hanyou_ in the legend was InuYasha, the village was located outside of _InuYasha no Mori_ which was home of the _Goshinboku_...My family's shrine is smack in the middle of where the forest used to be."

"Okay, so now we have a name, InuYasha," Miroku said. "Now, moving along with the story..._After_ he got his sword they met a _kitsune_ who wanted their shards to avenge his father. InuYasha did the avenging and the kid joined the hunt, having no one else. The next part is still hazy, but somehow InuYasha's lover-"

"Hey!"

"-was resurrected and then roamed the land seeking to kill her betrayer. As the search for the _Shikon no kakera_ continued they met a cursed monk who was using the shards as a lure for his enemy. For some reason, probably the _miko_'s kind heart, he also joined the group. From here, they went to where they had been told the jewel originated. Upon arrival, they discovered a slaughtered village. Though no one in the village lived, a group had been called away to serve a troubled lord; of this group only one survived, a female _taijiya_. She had been told that InuYasha had destroyed her home and killed her people; however, that belief was corrected and she traveled with the shard hunters, bringing with her a small cat-like_ youkai_, as it would seem that her enemy was also the _houshi_'s and the _hanyou_'s enemy."

"Why?" Kikyou questioned.

"Um, why what?"

"Why was the _tajiya_'s and the _houshi_'s enemy also InuYasha's enemy?"

"Uh, group togetherness? One for all and all for one, maybe?"

"It was a setup." Everyone turned to Sesshoumaru. He sat looking through a book, saying nothing more.

"He's right," InuYasha exclaimed. As the group, even Sesshoumaru, looked at the young man in shock, he was hurriedly typing at the computer, occasionally clicking the mouse. "Here!" he crowed triumphantly. "InuYasha didn't betray the guardian of the jewel, but a '_youkai,_ with the ability to change his form, took that of the _hanyou_ and attacked the priestess. He then took the form of the _miko_ and attacked the _hanyou_.' From there nature took its course, I guess. They each thought the other a traitor and took revenge as they saw fit."

"How sad," Kikyou sighed. She blushed at the sudden scrutiny. "I mean, they were lovers but obviously either their love was too new or they weren't _in_ love. Either case allowed for them to believe beyond all doubt the other had betrayed them. How must it have felt, to die thinking the one you loved didn't love you?" Her words hung in the air, a strange foreboding lingering.

Kouga cleared his throat. "Going on now...Not much details are found, just random bits and pieces, some places they went, but they made the village where the _miko_ first arrived their base." He flipped through a thick book in his lap. "Their shards were taken by the dead _miko_, given then to the enemy...Some run-ins with Sesshoumaru, one of which led to InuYasha learning a powerful attack of _Tessaiga_...

"Ah! There was an encounter with an _ookami_ _youkai_ that resulted the _miko_ being kidnapped. She helped the _ookami_ with a bird problem, her friends come for her...Another trick. InuYasha was setup again to appear as though he killed a huge group of _ookami youkai_ from two tribes, one group being from the earlier tribe. A fight ensued between the _hanyou_ and the tribe's leader leading to the former's defeat, which allowed a lackey of the enemy to take the latter _youkai_'s shards. But InuYasha protected him, or rather, InuYasha refused to be a pawn in the enemy's plan yet again. He won...The sword broke, InuYasha went insane (nothing new there), sword repaired, and sanity wasn't…something about becoming stronger than the fang's originator. What does that mean?"

"_Tessaiga_ was created to protect InuTaisho's human mate and, also, as a seal for InuYasha's demon blood," Sesshoumaru said. "It was made from his fang, so when it was broken, InuYasha's fang was used to put it back together. However, the seal was still broken. The only way for the seal to work again was by InuYasha becoming stronger than his father, by killing the _youkai_ that had indirectly caused his death, Ryuukotsusei. In killing the _ryuu youkai_, InuYasha proved himself to be stronger than his father thus resealing his demon blood and he also discovered _Tessaiga_'s ultimate attack, one that was said to use _youkai no youki_ against itself."

"...And you know this how?" InuYasha asked.

"Unlike you, I did not fall asleep when _chichiue_ told us of our namesakes."

"_Feh_," was his only response.

"They hurt him," Kagome succeeded in drawing all eyes to herself. Reading from her notes and a book on her lap she continued. "The enemy took something of Sesshoumaru's, anticipating his reaction to be along the lines of 'no one tells this Sesshoumaru what to do, for this you will die.' InuYasha had found a way for his sword to break through barriers and joined the fight already occurring. Between the two brothers and their swords, Sesshoumaru now having one called _Toukijin_, they caused considerable damage to him before he fled.

"The shard-hunting party spent weeks looking for him, before they ran into the _Shichinintai_, a group of seven resurrected human mercenaries. They were a diversionary tactic to allow the enemy the time he needed to finish healing. Eventually all seven were defeated, the enemy discovered only to flee, 'leaving our heroes in yet another pickle-'"

"Our heroes in a pickle?" Sango asked, amused.

"It says right here," she pointed to the spot as Sango leaned over.

"'...leaving our heroes in yet another pickle.' Huh." She sat back down. "Who wrote that one? It sounds like a comic book."

"_Ano_, it's the Fox God again. The 'bad guy', not my words, then killed the _shibito no miko_...how do you kill something that's already dead? Anyway, apparently by doing this he proved that he had gotten rid of his 'human heart'. _Chotto matte, _I thought he was a demon."

"My guardian, Mushin, told me a legend once," Miroku spoke slowly, trying to remember. "There was a thief who had been badly wounded in a fire and a beautiful _miko_ tended to him in a cave. So beautiful was she that the man wanted her, unable though he was to move. But this desire, this weakness, was so great that he eventually gave his body to a hoard of waiting _youkai_ who desired to destroy the _miko_. The resulting being was a _hanyou_ called...Naraku." Several people present stiffened at the name, Miroku included. After a second had passed, he went on. "The legend said that though the thief's body was gone, his heart remained, keeping the half-demon from killing the priestess. Perhaps this is our villain from the legend," he tentatively suggested.

This name, like InuYasha's, was accepted as their 'villain's' after a brief debate.

"There's little to no information after all this, including no conclusion to our legend," Kagome informed the group. "If we look using the names 'InuYasha' _to_ 'Naraku', assuming those are correct, maybe we'll find more, _ne_?"

There was a tired silence broken when Sango stood from her chair, entwining the fingers of both hands together before raising them above her head, starting to groan only for it to turn into a big yawn. At an odd sound, she blinked owlishly, slowly turning her head to her giggling friend. When she arched a dark eyebrow in question, Kagome gestured around the room with one hand, covering her own yawn with the other. Following the unspoken command, Sango moved her gaze to sweep the study, finding all of its occupants in various stages of yawning.

InuYasha gave a mighty one, jaw gaping, tongue coming forward before the tip curled upward and then retreated back into his mouth. The blue-eyed girl giggled again, joined this time by the other two females.

At the boy's questioning stare, Sesshoumaru said with an imperceptible smirk, "They laugh because you just unwittingly acted like that which your name suggests, _Inu_."

The black hair women burst into outright laughter, fueled by the insanity brought on by exhaustion, at the drawled remark.

One violet-eyed man took advantage of their distraction to reach out…

A scream of '_Hentai_' followed by a resounding slap then thud was greeted by a minute silence before another round of laughter started, this time including two of the remaining males, excluding one female who stood breathing hard, dark eyes narrowed on the innocent face of Miroku.

.:o.o:.

Midoriko legend summarized and, possibly, paraphrased (really too tired to double check) from chapter 94, _Birth of the Jewel_, volume 10 of the _manga_.

.:o.o:.

Part VI completed: Tuesday, December 9, 2003

Part VII completed: Tuesday, January 6, 2004

Revision completed: Sunday, May 23, 2004


	4. Kiun

**Kaerizaku: Kiun**

**.:o.o:. **

**Separation Anxiety**  
  
_A pink glow...A dark comet coming towards her...  
  
_He _was hot on its tail, disregarding his silver-hair prey in pursuit of his ultimate goal. The purplish black light came at an alarming rate, its shadow closing in.  
  
Closer...A little closer...Two hands, one masculine, one feminine, outstretched towards the object. The larger one soon hovered directly over it, ready to engulf it...  
  
The world shook violently, throwing anyone standing to the ground...It lasted only seconds; it seemed to be a lifetime...  
  
She was on her hands and knees, a small, dark, chipped marble brushing her fingertips, quickly bleeding out the darkness, glowing a soft pink...  
  
The valley was covered in shadows; she was in the umbra of a darker shade..._Death_ loomed overhead, grinning triumphantly, sadistically...Her friends were too far away, too wounded, to save her now..._

**.:o.o:.**

Sleep would not come this night. After wasting more than an hour staring at the ceiling above his bed, futilely waiting for oblivion to claim him as a vague memory teased the outer fringes of his mind, but beyond recall, Sesshoumaru opted to work out his mental frustrations in his usual way: performing the _kata_ of his art,_ kendo_.  
  
Given the lateness of the hour, or the early hour, depending on one's view, he had thought the solitude of the university _doujo_ would be the ideal place to practice. Imagine his surprise when he _felt_, not heard but felt, the vibrations of incredibly loud music while still meters away from the building. His surprise quickly gave way to irritation; now he would have to force the idiot(s) inside to leave; joy.  
  
The silver-hair man opened the door after using his card and key-code to unlock it, only to have his ears assaulted by the throbbing music. Golden eyes narrowed in anger swept the room, seeking the offender(s) only to widen marginally at the sight of the two figures on the mats.  
  
Two dark hair fighters moved with startling speed and agility in a dangerous dance. Each wielded a weapon, laying merciless siege upon one another. Sesshoumaru watched in growing fascination as they unwittingly demonstrated their skills to their audience. Sharp cracks continually sounded smartly over the clamor of wanna-be music as _tonfa_ and _jo_ kissed brutally. Their movements suggested knowledge of the other opponent, seeming to almost anticipate the attacks.  
  
The one armed with the jo stayed beyond the reach of the other, taking advantage of the weapon's superior length, but the _tonfa_'s owner made up for the disadvantage; the slighter body seemed more...everything. More agile, swifter, better recovery speed, more daring, too. It seemed as though the gray-eyed one fought with no plan, letting chaos rule, and winning because of it.  
  
Sesshoumaru watched for a pattern...The beat. The chaotic one fought to the beat of the unruly music, as he now recognized the racket as rave music.  
  
The dance continued, changing rhythms within the pulse reverberating throughout the _doujo_. He watched them, blocking the tiresome noise from his mind. The _jo_ sliced through the air, one could imagine it singing, greeted by one _tonfa_ as the other moved in. The grace of their movements were entrancing, made more so by the lengths of black hair whipping behind them. A false move caught the _jo_'s wielder in its snare, said person was promptly found flat on her back, _tonfa_ resting against her neck.  
  
By this point, Sesshoumaru had made his way, unobtrusively, to the stereo system and now shut off the music. The sudden silence was thunderous, broken only by the soft, punctuated gasps for air.  
  
Two pairs of eyes turned to the offender. He stood dispassionately, none of his interest of their sparring evident. After a moment of stillness, the women stood, faced one another, and bowed, before turning back to the intruder.  
  
Sango came towards him, brown eyes appraising, judging. She stopped less than an arm span away, reaching out...Music blasted again, quickly turned down and changed to a new CD; a melancholy cello's voice drifted from the speakers, filling the void.  
  
Sesshoumaru's attention was once more captured by Kagome, who now moved through a _kata_ of _tai quan_. Her weapons from moments ago lay innocently a meter or so from her. The movements seemed lazy when one takes in the music as part of the show; her limbs moving slowly, gently, storm cloud colored eyes unseeing, focusing, instead, inward. The beauty of the dance often makes one forget that with more speed behind it, the dance becomes deadly.  
  
"_Ano_...Come here often?" Startled amber-honey eyes turned the woman standing beside him. She laughed softly, "Bad line, I know. What are you doing here at this hour?"  
  
"I could ask you the same," the monotonous reply came quietly, eyes forward once again.  
  
"_We're_ here, at about this hour, once or twice a week," she answered.  
  
"..._Nenakatta_."  
  
"Hoping to exhaust yourself through physical exertion, _ne_?" An affirmative nod. "She'll be done soon, then we'll get out of your way." .:o.o:. Dawn's rose fingers came too soon for some, several such people turned away from the light or buried their heads beneath their pillows. Hours later, the sun just shy of its zenith, a group of well wishers stood on a platform, seeing off their friend.  
  
"-should go."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"_Mochiron_. I've a good feeling about this."  
  
"I'll come back Sunday morning."  
  
"Yeesh, will you two break it up. The train's gonna leave... any minute...now," the insensitive jerk's voice drifted off to a mumble at the heated looks he was getting.  
  
"Well then, see you all Sunday, _ne_? _Ittekimasu_."  
  
"_Itterashai_!" came the resounding chorus, followed by laughter.

** .:o.o:.**

The rest of the day flew passed, a flurry of calls within an unofficial network, followed by another gathering at Sesshoumaru's apartment to trade notes, ideas, and, in one couple's case, saliva.  
  
More details filled out the sketchy outline, but still no ending was found. They stayed awake late into the night, as no one had classes the next day, until, one by one, they dropped like flies into the dream realm, save one. The student labored into the early hours of the morning, seeking the end, until sleep's lure became too tempting to resist... .:o.o:. _"_Ne_, Kagome-_chan_?"  
  
"_Hai_?"  
  
"When this is over, what do you plan to do?"  
  
"...I don't know. I've not thought much about it...Everything thus far has been focused on the hunt."  
  
Silence...then: "In the beginning, I thought when this ended that I would just go home,_ na no da_? Now...now I don't know. To leave this place and go home, I would lose my family here; but to stay...I lose my family there...How about you? Planning to settle down and focus on your romantic interest?"  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
Laughter filled the steamy air, as they began a water war.  
_

**.:o.o:.**

**Making Progress...**  
  
"_That's not fair_," a pout obvious in his voice. "_How can I woo a sweet maiden when said maiden is in Kyoto- Why had she gone there again?_"  
  
"Her brother is hospitalized in Kyoto; he's in a coma," amusement at the other's predicament. "Your bad luck. You chose her, she left town; apparently she leaves town every other week."  
  
"_This gives you a two and a half day advantage, which a gentleman would take into consideration in such a wager._"  
  
"I don't recall you ever being a gentleman."  
  
"_Oh, ha ha; you're so funny, a regular comedian_," sarcasm now. He sighs in frustration. "_Well, such is my life, though I could just make sure you and your mark are not alone all weekend_..."  
  
"Don't you have a class or seminar this afternoon?"  
  
"Nani? _Oh, damn it, is_ Kami-sama _against me in all matters? Remind me not to make bets with you ever again_."  
  
"You said that last time."  
  
"..._And you didn't remind me...Why_?"  
  
"It must have slipped my mind at the time."  
  
"Mochiron, _and I'm a flaming homosexual. Oh, wait, I'm as straight as a_ shakujou," again with sarcasm. A tired sigh, "Jaa, _at least try to do research for the project when you are with her_."  
  
"I'm not you."  
  
"_This is true. Were you I, she would've left town, too_." Another sigh. "_I'll call you after the seminar, if it's not too late in the afternoon maybe we can go to her family's shrine, field research and such_."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
A reluctant laugh. "_A man of few words, now I remember why I hang around you_."  
  
"I can't figure out why I allow you hang around me."  
  
"_Right_. Kuso, _I have to run or I'll be late_." A click, followed by dead air. "Jaa mata _to you too_." 

**.:o.o:.**

Kagome was fretting. Sango had left to visit her family, specifically her comatose _itouto_. Kikyou was promised to help at a shrine, _miko_ training stuff; InuYasha was promised to Kikyou to help her at the shrine, yard work. Kouga had run home, a nasty stomach virus sweeping through the household, yuck.  
  
So now, here she was, alone with Sesshoumaru, albeit in public, but alone nevertheless, because Miroku apparently had a seminar to attend; a monk thing. Mayhap it wouldn't be such a bad thing were he not so attractive, physically and mentally, but such was her fate; the Fates must hate her, or, at the very least, find her predicament vastly amusing, she decided.  
  
It would seem, though, that worrying was a fruitless endeavor, as the _yonensei_ seemed completely focused on the task at hand: research. They spent hours digging through books and computer archives, chasing one false lead after another.  
  
By early afternoon, they called it quits for the day, tired of reading small, single-spaced print and hungry for food. However, it appeared that they should have left sooner, as autumn rain fell in sheets, goaded further by the wind. Both had walked to the _toshokan_, and neither had listened to a weather report before leaving earlier that morning; their mistake. They stood under the library's overhang, staring dubiously at the liquid bullets.  
  
"_Ano_, if we run, we could go to my apartment...I can give you a _kasa_ to use the rest of your walk home," Kagome offered, eyes fixed on the falling water. She felt his golden gaze and suddenly felt impish. "_I_ don't mind getting wet," thus said, she took off down the steps.  
  
Sesshoumaru watched her, amused, for all of one second before following her. The campus was empty but for a few fast-moving umbrellas; silent but for the steady sound of the heavy rain and rhythmic slapping of two students' shoes hitting the wet pavement. She led the way, ignoring the fact that while she was running, he was only jogging. They had almost reached the edge of the school's property when Kagome turned up a walkway, slowing to a walk.  
  
They entered the glass foyer, the door closing softly behind them. For a space of time, they were enclosed in the small space, acutely aware of the heat between their bodies after the chill of the rain. The dark- haired girl quickly unlocked the second door, trying to keep her hands from shaking. They climbed up five flights of stairs, foregoing the cramped confines of the elevator. At the fifth floor, Kagome led him down the hall, stopping to unlock the very last door; she stepped back, indicating he should go in first. Finding it odd, but saying nothing, Sesshoumaru entered her studio apartment, her slipping in after him.  
  
To most, her home would appear sparsely furnished, given the vastness of the room, but the silver-hair man was not most people. His eyes scanned his surroundings, immediately noting the loft space overhead, accessible from a wooden spiral staircase in the right corner, extending through a third of the room before ending, at which point the ceiling shot up an additional story. As the entrance to the apartment was at the end of the hall, the windows overlooking the _daigaku_ were expected but not their size and numbers. The windows were maybe a meter wide, stretching vertically from ceiling to floor, spaced a meter apart, on three walls, as the apartment took up the whole western side of the building on those two levels.  
  
In the corner to the left, a kitchenette, with a large kitchen _tansu_, was directly under the loft, made to appear separate from the rest of the room by a breakfast counter on one side and a _shoji_ screen on the other. Situated in the southwestern portion of the room, near the windows on a raised platform, was a _zataku _made of _keyaki_ and four _zaisu_. A gleaming, grand piano sat in the adjacent corner; near this, between a pair of windows, sat a padlocked storage cabinet. The remainder of the large room was empty, leaving much open floor space.  
  
The available wall space was bare save for the weapons, such as a pair of _sai_, a bow and full quiver, and a couple fighting fans, displayed in random intervals. Sesshoumaru's attention was particularly caught by a pair of crossed swords. They were alone, high on the wall, riveting one's gaze upward to strain for a better view. One sheath appeared ancient and battered, well used, the other looked pristine, though equally old. Looking at the swords, something teased the edges of his thoughts, a distant memory...  
  
Kagome appeared before him, holding a large, thick towel in each hand. She offered him one then preceded to dry herself with the other.  
  
A soft ringing sounded, echoing through the vast, bare room. Still drying her hair, Kagome padded soundlessly on the _tegami_ mats to the kitchen vicinity to answer the phone. Sesshoumaru toed his shoes off, leaving them next to Kagome's as well as his book bag, before walking further into the room towards the windows; wiping water from his skin with the soft towel as he went, he then wrung excess liquid from his long hair, again using the towel to absorb it. He heard the soft lilt of Kagome's voice greeting her caller as he stared, unseeing, through the glass. He didn't hear her excitement, her relief, didn't hear her 'goodbye', nor did he hear the gentle click as she hung up the phone.  
  
Soon, though, the sound of quiet tears reached his sensitive ears. Turning back to the room, to Kagome, he didn't see her. He followed the stifled sobs, spotting her through the open _shoji_ door, on the cold tile floor of the kitchen.  
  
She looked up at his approach, tears slipping down her cheeks, eyes shining with relief. As he knelt before her, she spoke haltingly between tear choked breaths. "He woke up; he finally woke up."  
  
Sesshoumaru quickly surmised that it was Sango's brother she spoke of, and that that had been Sango just now on the phone. Studying her, he saw how lost she looked, how fragile she appeared, how needy she was, and tentatively reached for her. At his comforting gesture, she clung to him tightly and stopped holding back; sobs wracked her small frame.  
  
He shifted to sit fully on a small rug, situated in front of the sink, and, back against the cabinet, pulled her onto his lap, just holding her. One elegant hand moved in slow, soothing circles on her back, silently offering strength to the piteous female.  
  
Eventually her tears stopped, as she slipped into an exhausted sleep. Bemused, Sesshoumaru rearranged her in his arms before standing. He carried her up the circling stairs, noting that her clothes, and his as well, were still wet from their watery run across the school grounds. He found the upper level as sparsely furnished as below, only a _futon_, a _fuzukue_, and an unusually large _kimono tansu_ were present. An open door revealed the studio's bathroom, which showed more signs of residency than the rest of the place.  
  
After setting his charge on the bed, he made to pull away, only to be stopped by her small hands fisted in his shirt. She mumbled something along the lines for him to stay. The young man murmured assurances that he wasn't leaving, just trying to get dry clothes for her. Her grip loosened, accepting his words, starting to feel the clamminess of her shirt and jeans. Sesshoumaru moved to the bureau, finding a long-sleeve nightshirt immediately, as well as a man's shirt large enough for himself. He gave its presence no thoughts of concern, knowing that many women bought men's shirts to sleep in for some odd, unknown reason.  
  
Returning to Kagome, he braced her upright, calling her name, bringing her to semiconciousness. Without a second thought, the young woman, languorously, pulled off first her shirt then jeans, aided by her partner when the wet denim proved stubborn. Once she sat clad only in a matching, modest bra and panty set, Sesshoumaru, ignoring her state of undress, helped her put on the nightshirt, which just managed to cover her upper thighs, then get under the covers. She snuggled down into her warm fleece blankets, drifting back to sleep.  
  
Golden eyes studied her until the discomfort of his own damp clothing became too persistent. He stood, shedding his outer clothes easily, then slid on the short sleeve shirt filched from her drawer. He found his mind becoming hazy, the lethargy caused by the steady tempo of rain beating the windows and the warmth of the dry shirt; given thus, he gave it no consideration before joining Kagome in her bed, under the deliciously heated blankets, quickly falling asleep.  
  
In the rain-dimmed room two dozing bedmates turned to one another, seeking the comfort of greater warmth and touch... 

**.:o.o:.**

**Midnight Run**  
  
_Quick footfalls, light, soft...The scenery flew by in a green, shadowed blur. Strictly controlled breaths coming in soft pants, in time with each step. A flash of green and white, closely followed by a streaming, black cloud darted through the vegetation.  
  
She had been running so long now that the pain in her side was becoming harder to ignore, but still she pressed onward; her thoughts focused on one thing, the well. Get to the well, to home, and then she could rest. Following the dictation of her mind, determined gray-blue eyes saw only the path before her. Her stride was long and sure, dodging fallen branches and trees spotted by constantly scanning eyes like a track star, her ears trained on any sounds of pursuers.  
  
So focused on her goal was she, that she failed to see the obstacle deliberately placed in her way. And was duly stunned to find that her journey had come to an abrupt halt.  
  
Exhausted more than she could ever immediately recall, she barely managed to brace her hands before her. What little air she contained was lost in a rush upon impact with the unforgiving soil and stones. She remained still, gasping, trying to regain control. A cool wind caressed her dewy skin, eliciting a small moan of pleasure. Brought back to herself at the sound, the dark-haired girl pushed herself up off the ground, and, bringing her legs under her, she sat to take inventory of any and all hurts, grumbling quietly to herself all the while.  
  
After brushing the moist dirt from her hands and knees, the primary contact sites, she found only light scrapes, not deep enough to cause even miniscule beads of blood. Sighing, she twisted to see from whence she had come to see what succeeded in tripping her. Her eyes quickly focused on a pair of faintly gleaming booted-feet. Her gaze traveled up with apprehension.  
  
The white, red, and yellow of his clothes stood out starkly against the dark forest. Long, silver hair stirred faintly in the breeze, blank golden eyes that seemed to glow in the night gazed down on her. Suffice to say, two words ran through the miko's mind_, oh fuck.  
  
_She scrambled away from the taiyoukai, moving backwards until a tree blocked her way. Bored golden eyes followed her movements, watching her watch him while groping behind her to use the tree as leverage to stand.  
  
"What do you want?" Kagome tried to keep the fear from her voice, silently berating herself for forgetting her bow and arrows in her initial panic_. Hell, _she suddenly realized_, I forgot all of my stuff in my initial panic.  
  
_During her revelation, in which her attention wavered from the demon lord before her, said demon had moved closer. The miko's eyes widened and a startled squeak escaped her upon discovering her error. Desperate, she began to babble, trying, futilely, to distract him from her movements.  
_  
_ "Sesshoumaru, please, can we just go our separate ways, without any problems? I mean, InuYasha isn't around, won't be coming, which means no sword_, ne_?" She slid around the base of the tree, gaining a clear path at her back. "And you don't have any use for a weak _ningen _nor any desire to e around one longer than necessary; therefore, I'll just leave and you won't have to even tarnish your claws with my weak blood, okay? Bye now!" She took off again with renewed urgency.  
  
She wasn't stupid, she knew he would be very displeased and, quite possibly, very annoyed with her; she knew he wouldn't just let her go. But the woman from the future was smart, as she had seen many horror films before she had turned fifteen, the commencement of her adventures, and remembered that a potential victim should never look back. No matter how tempting it was to check, to see for sure whether or not she was even being pursued. _Nope_, the_ miko _thought_, too smart to do that.  
  
_Which was precisely why she tripped right over her_ pursuer'_s foot, again, looking for him behind her. This was also why she found herself pretty much right where she had started: on the ground, staring up, fearfully, at the emotionless _taiyoukai.  
  
_He watched her impassively, waiting for her to accept her situation. Eventually, her neck began to hurt from tilting back to look at him. She sighed softly, dropping her head forward thinking,_ it was worth a shot_. She shifted to her knees, then crawled, slowly, backwards, brought up short by another tree; using it as a brace, the woman rose from the ground, warily peering at her..._companion _from time to time_.  
  
_ The silence continued on, the only indication he still stood there was the weight of his gaze on her bent head. She noticed the quiet around them was absolute, no sounds of the night at all, as though a predator was nearby. Baka_, he _is_ a predator.  
  
_"Where are your protectors on this moonless night?" The question was rhetorically asked in a smooth, monotonous voice.  
  
"My protectors...? They're my _friends_, for your information, and I can protect myself!"_ Way to go, anger him some more_, she thought belatedly.  
  
"_Sou desu ka_." Something about that tone was different from before.  
  
She chanced glancing at him, eyes freezing on his own and the very pointed look he gave her. The bright woman quickly realized his point. And suddenly recalled the last part of his first question, "on this moonless night." The numerous implications of his words stunned her for several beats_. Did he know? _She, herself, knew next to nothing about the relationship between the half-brothers, but it stood to reason that he could know about InuYasha. Would know. But this would have to wait for another time.  
  
First thing first: getting home without further delay, without giving _him _a chance to grab her. Though he was the one who had retreated, this didn't mean he would give up, especially if, or when, he discovered she was on her own.  
  
Tired beyond belief, Kagome sagged against the tree, still panting softly. She watched him, unmoving, looking at her expectantly. She vaguely recalled he had spoken during her internal situation assessment. Focusing all attention on him once more she said, "Eh,_ gomen, demo, _what did you say?"_  
  
_Without a any sign of annoyance he repeated his earlier question with a small modification.  
  
_ _ "_Ano_," she began. "My friends went back to the village; they require medical attention and council." She caught a flash of confusion in his otherwise unreadable eyes at the unfamiliar word. "They were wounded in an unexpected encounter with Naraku. They went back to the village to get their wounds seen to."  
  
"Is that not _your_ job?" She bristled at his insinuation that that was all she was good for, seeing to the wounded.  
  
_ _ "Look, buddy," she started to say heatedly. "If I could be helping my friends right now I would be, but circumstances have dictated differently. As it so happens, I can't go near them right now and if you know what's good for you, you would be as far from me as possible as soon as possible!"_ Oops_, was what came to mind when she realized what she had said. "Sorry," she apologized quickly. "Please don't take that the wrong wa- No! Stay away!"  
  
Sesshoumaru was drawing nearer, hand held tensely at his side. The dark-haired female skirted the tree at her back, matching each of his steps walking backwards.  
  
"Now don't do anything rash," she spoke hurriedly, trying to calm him._ More like trying to calm a feral beast, _she thought_, though, I doubt he wouldn't appreciate the comparison. _She tripped again, falling hard on her butt. He drew nearer. Kagome scooted backwards, but not fast enough. Feeling the firm grip of full-blown panic, she began to chant, "Don't touch me, don't touch me, don't touch me, don't tou-"  
  
As swift as a striking snake, the Western lord had the priestess securely by her neck. The very second he had touched her, her fear subsided. Curious at this about-face, he waited. When all she said was a mumbled _'kuso',_ one delicate silver eyebrow arched in query.  
  
Her hands lifted to the one holding her neck, resting gently around his wrist. "Can't say I didn't warn you," the words came out in a singsong voice, devoid of any fear. Her eyes became smoky, heavy-lidded, seductive... Her tongue darted out to slowly, sinuously lick her lower lip.  
  
The abrupt change in demeanor vaguely bothered Sesshoumaru, but not to the point that he would let it show. Her small hands lightly touched his wrist, one moving to his hand, the other sliding up his arm, into his sleeve. Startled, disgusted, and somewhat alarmed, he released her neck, removing his limb from her offending caress.  
  
"Explain this behavior,_ miko_," he demanded in a silky tone.  
  
Eyes glazed with desire struggled to fixate on his face, rather than peruse his person. "Naraku..." she uttered. "He had gotten me again, but this time he tried to force a potion down my throat. I spat most of it out when InuYasha attacked him, though, obviously not all of it. Before he ran away he told us the potion would make me want the first person who touched me, bare skin to bare skin, that the desire would consume me and the only antidote is satisfaction given from the one who touched me."  
  
The_ taiyoukai _stood motionless for a moment in consideration before turning to walk away. At her indignant sputtering he spoke over his shoulder to her. "This is not my concern,_ ningen_."  
  
"The hell it isn't!" He stopped at her voice. "Naraku said this won't fade, that the potion would make it so that I would do anything to gain satisfaction. Anything. He had planned to make me find the last shard... But now you touched me and you'll either have to-to s-satisfy me or kill me!"  
  
"Again,_ miko_, this is not my concern."  
  
"You can't just leave me like this," she wailed. "I warned you, damn it, and you still didn't listen; you should pay the price! Your honor should demand it! This is, after all, your fault." She watched him closely, seeing his agitation rising. "Sesshoumaru, please...Look, just think of it as a way to get to InuYasha. He knows what will happen, but he doesn't know with who it'll be. I was going to go home, find someone there..."  
  
"..." By this point he had turned to study her, seeking the truth in her words. That he was actually considering it, should have had him hightailing it out of there, but he stayed where he stood.  
  
"...He also said whoever touched me would feel something too. A compulsion to t-touch me that gets stronger over time."  
  
"If you digested the potion, how is it a mere touch would cause a bond?" he asked in an ambiguous tone.  
  
"I-I don't know; it's what he said," she paused. "He could be lying," she offered.  
  
He considered this but dismissed it immediately. Her scent had been increasing in arousal from the moment he had grabbed her neck, even after he had released her. As he watched her fidget under his gaze, he felt a vague compulsion to feel her throat again, beneath his hand...  
  
So it would seem the hanyou had, for once, not lied. The bastard._

**.:o.o:.**

**A few translations:  
**  
_shakujou_: a monk's staff  
  
_yonensei_: fourth year student  
  
_toshokan_: library  
  
_kasa_: umbrella  
  
_daigaku_: college  
  
_tansu_: chest (A kitchen tansu is like a cupboard.)  
  
_zataku_: low table  
  
_keyaki_: expensive Japanese wood  
  
_zaisu_: a chair without legs  
  
_fuzukue_: low desk  
  
_kimono tansu_: like an armoire  
  
** Part VIII completed: Tuesday, February 3, 2004  
  
Part IX completed: Sunday, February 15, 2004  
  
Part X completed: Wednesday, June 9, 2004  
  
Parts VIII, IX, and X revision completed: Thursday, June 17, 2004**


End file.
